Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 6 next month and information about HealthKit, the smartphone's new health care software continues to leak.
Though the company has been tight lipped about the HealthKit, information has slipped out regarding talks that Apple had with health providers at Mount Sinai, the Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins.
HealthKit will allow consumers and providers to access all their health data in one place. The health data, which includes blood pressure, heart rate, weight and calories, will allow patients and providers to view a profile of a patient's overall health.
Apple plans to sync the health app with electronic health records, in hopes that doctors can assess and monitor their patients to prevent illness and make better diagnostic and treatment decisions.
Mayo Clinic is testing a service to notify patients when their Apple apps detect abnormal vital readings, so that they can schedule a follow-up visit. Cleveland Clinic is experimenting with HealthKit's beta to provide feedback to Apple.
HealthKit could be a way for hospitals to save money, time and resources because mobile developers won't have to integrate the software with other countless apps that track fitness and health.
Health data is currently collected by third-party health care software applications, but the vitals are not stored in one place. Consequently, Apple is reportedly in talks with Allscripts, an electronic health record provider to merge all the data to one place.
Apple also announced a partnership with Epic Systems this summer. Epic dominated about 40% of electronic health records in hospitals. Major health systems that currently use Epic Systems will be able to integrate health data from HealthKit into Epic's health records.
In addition to this partnership, Apple is rumored to unveil the "iWatch," the company's first smartwatch, with the iPhone 6. The sensors in the iPhone 6 and iWatch could allow for seamless integration for health data when combined with HealthKit and Epic. If this is successful, Apple could be the center for health care records.
"Apple is going into this space with a data play," Skip Snow, Forrester Research's health care analyst said. "They want to be a hub of health data."
Apple's HealthKit will have challenges when it comes to privacy. The main purpose of HealthKit is be able to share health data, but it will have to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) that protects personal health information. To solve this problem, users will be able decide if they want to share personal health data from third-party apps.
"It is really difficult for consumers to know if their health information is protected by HIPAA because it's so dependent on the specific facts," Joy Pritts, recently-departed chief privacy officer for the Office of the National Coordinator for Healthcare IT (ONC) said.
HIPPA laws would not interfere with fitness data collected with Apple's partnership with Nike; however, both Apple and Mayo Clinic would have to obey HIPPA laws. Regardless, with all the controversy surrounding Internet privacy, Apple's new technology is sure to make some waves.
